Food Security: Gombe announces more subsidies on fertilizer to encourage food production
The government of Gombe State has announced a further reduction in the price of fertilizer which was being sold for N19,000 to farmers in the state.
This was announced by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi in a statement that was issued by Ismaila Uba Misilli the Director General (DG) Press Affairs Government House, Gombe.
According to Misilli, the SSG who announced the new measure on behalf of Governor Yahaya disclosed that the fertilizer is to be sold for N15,000 per bag. He explained that the new measure was to alleviate the biting effects of the removal of fuel subsidies and encourage farming for food production.
“This development is also in line with the advisory from the National Economic Council (NEC), which urged states to design independent responses to the subsidy removal, and to also come up with strategies to help boost food production in states across the nation,” Misilli stated.
He said that agents at the state-owned fertilizer selling points have been directed to comply with the directive, adding that the sales and distribution committee are to ensure strict sales to farmers only as a palliative.
Governor Yahaya had on June 19, 2023, flagged off the sales of the fertilizer and other farm inputs in the state with 166 Truck-loads of the commodity at the subsidized rate of Nineteen Thousand Naira (N19,000) per bag against the N26,000 it was being sold at the open market.
According to the DG, In the area of public transport, the state governor had directed the state-owned transport company (Gombe Line) to put measures in place to ensure that residents can travel with less financial burden.
“The company has continued to maintain a functional fleet providing subsidized and effective transport services to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, and also ensure the comfort and safety of passengers,” Misilli stated.
Sunnewsonline.com
